Widgetarium is an IDE for creating Dashboard Widgets. It combines a programming editor that supports JavaScript, HTML and CSS with a packager that creates ".wdgt" packages, and a Dashboard emulator/debugger, allowing you to run and test your widget right in Widgetarium.

The emulator includes support for most of the widget extensions, including system, launchURL, launchApplication, preferenceForKey/setPreferenceForKey, setCloseBoxOffset. It also includes prepareForTransition/performTransition (though these currently do nothing). You can also explicitly call your dragstart, dragstop, show, hide, focus, blur, and remove handlers. The dashboard emulator shows a JavaScript console, so you're just a double click away from finding your errors, as well as support for explicit logging calls (or you can also just type in code to execute).

It includes the following tools for making it easier and faster to create your Widget:

Project managementProject file keeps track of all your sources, images, and any other file that you'd want to include in your Widget. It then correctly builds the Widget, setting all the various flags in various files correctly, copies the source files to the correct place, and can install the widget or compress it for uploading.

Dashboard EmulationInstead of having to run your Widget in Safari or having to constantly kill/reload in Dashboard, Widgetarium provides a built in Dashboard simulator right inside the project. Your Widget code runs just like it would when running in Dashboard.

Widget InspectionBesides running the Widget, you can also inspect the Widget itself.

JavaScript Source Level DebuggingWidgetarium provides a full source level JavaScript debugger, allowing you to step through your code (including "step into calls", "step over calls" and "step out of routine"), set break points, see stack crawls, and view/edit local and global variables.

Graphic ToolsWidgetarium makes it easy to create the basic graphics you'll need to create a Widget. From making the basic panel graphic (in various styles, custom colors, shapes, sizes, including the special "weave textured" back) to special button graphics and the Widget icon image.

Ready access to DocumentationThere are handy links to a built in document browser that gives you instant access to Dashboard documentation and other related programming documentation (requires either XCode installation or an Internet connection).

Quick Start Templates Widgets can be created from a starting template, which will make the basic files, images, and standard behavior a Widget.

Special Extensions Widgets created using Widgetarium have access to special additional routines to perform a wide variety of actions not available to JavaScript.